Writing with style
by John R. Trimble · first published 1975
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
A short, practical guide to clearer nonfiction writing. It is more useful and less windy than typical writing books, and it suits engineers and anyone who wants to write better prose.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Writing with Style - the best book I've ever read on writing. http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Style-Conversations-Art-2nd/dp...
on “Ask HN: Good books for English writing?” ↗…not just fussy rules of English but also about THINKING in a way that helps improve writing. I will have to practice with the ideas in that book for a long time. I'd add Write Right! by Jan Venolia and Writing With Style by John Trimble. The Sense of Style is wonderful but I worry especially that it might be too advanced for relative beginners, and the chapter about sentence diagramming / sentence grouping may be confusing.
on “How do you get to write so well in HN?” ↗What you are describing matches perfectly the book "Writing with Style" by John Trimble He says: > Books on writing tend to be windy, boring, and impractical. I intend this one to be different—short, fun, and genuinely useful. See a review: https://nargaque.com/2010/07/07/writing-with-style-john-r-tr...…
on “Ask HN: How do I develop terse yet elegant written communication skill” ↗"Writing with Style, Conversations on the Art of Writing", by John Trimble is another great writing book (The second edition is 161 pages if you don't include the appendices). The ability to communicate in writing is an…
on “Ask HN: Best books under 200 pages for developers?” ↗That is a pretty low effort list. I have read dozens and dozens of books on writing, and for non-fiction nothing beats Writing with Style by Trimble.
on “What to read to become a better writer” ↗You can do it! https://writeofpassage.com/ In books about writing, I like: How Fiction Works Reading Like a Writer Writing With Style There are many others of course. Perhaps the most important part is finding an editor. (I wound up marrying one, which is not uncommon.) I've seen recs for Sasha Chapin: https://www.sashachapin.com/
on “20 Years of Blogging on my own website” ↗…making automated comments on my text as I write it sounds distracting at best. If you want to write better, write more. And let people read your writing. Hear what they have to say. Style handbooks like "Writing with Style" or "The Elements of Style" are great, but you should attempt to understand the reasons they behind their recommendations, not just use them as a mindless checklist. Craft your own voice.
on “Bold: Make Your Words Stand Out” ↗